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Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Nurul's ban entry to Sabah- a shameful act

The recent ban by Sabah's immigration authorities of Nurul Izzah's entry into Sabah not only drew bipartisan criticisms but propelled our country to some degree of notoriety. No country which professed democracy has ever had the cause to ban its citizen from entering into another state which is part of the country's autonomy. But what makes the whole episode a mockery is that Nurul was not a normal persona non grata felon but an elected member of Parliament in the Federal Territory.

What makes it even more interesting was the statement by the newly minted Tourism Minister, Nazri who went on to justfy the ban as something 'based on the provisions of the Law for the safety of Sabahans'. Safety of Sabahans? Safety from whom? Did Nurul's visit posed a threat to the security and safety of Sabahans? What kind of rubbish is this idiotic Minister trying to say? If indeed Nurul was a security threat then it was incumbent of the Home Minister to arrest Nurul and charge her for any impending threats that she may posed. This kind of foolish reason offered by a member of the cabinet is pure fabrication and fiction done with the intention of blemishing the opposition's reputation. Even maverick B.N's politician from Kinabatangan Bung Mokhtar tweeted that the move was a 'mistake and a 'disaster'

According to the Sabah Immigration authorities , the ban was under the order of the Chief Minister Musa Aman who denied that the ban was politically motivated. If it was not politically motivated then what was it that had led to Nurul's ban? Further, the Immigration authorities comes under the Home Ministry which is a Federal authority. So how could Aman intervene to order the Immigration authority to ban Nurul? Unless of course this was done with the tacit approval of the Home Ministry which gave its official the green light to effect Aman's order for the ban. The ban has raised many questions as to the legitimacy of such a ban on its citizens in the absence of any valid reason. Further, does the chief Minister has authority to order a Federal agency to carry out an order which does not come under its jurisdiction. The fact that the Home Minister has chosen to remain silent when its authority and jusrisdiction have been encroached by the state govt only raised further suspicions that there was a covert conspiracy to ban Nurul from the begining.

Opposition member of Parliament must debate this issue with the govt and once and for all correct this anomaly. Such ridiculous situation has been allowed to fester for so long and Sarawak has also been one of the culprit exercising such unreasonable ban on Malaysian citizens. Malaysians deserve the right to know the legality of such frivolous actions by the whims and fancy of Chief Ministers who view their state as if it is their own private domain.